• county
  • FIPS 51105
  • Largest town: Pennington Gap

Lee County, Virginia

Lee County had 21,780 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 435.4 square miles of land. It ranks 78th of 133 in Virginia by population and 39th by land area.

Population
21,780
#78 of 133 in Virginia · #1,731 in US
Area
435.4 sq mi
#39 of 133 in Virginia · #2,328 in US
Density
50 / sq mi
#100 of 133 in Virginia · #1,471 in US
Median household income
$44,110
#130 of 133 in Virginia · #3,000 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Lee County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Lee County

Lee County population, land area and income

Lee County had 21,780 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 435.4 square miles of land. It ranks 78th of 133 in Virginia by population and 39th by land area. That works out to 50.0 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents; Lee County is somewhat smaller.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $44,110 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

21,780

3144th1st

1731st of 3,144 (US)

Land area

435 sq mi

3144th1st

2328th of 3,144 (US)

Density

50.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

1471st of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$44,110

3143rd1st

3000th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

21,780

133rd1st

78th of 133 (VA)

Land area

435 sq mi

133rd1st

39th of 133 (VA)

Density

50.0 / sq mi

133rd1st

100th of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$44,110

133rd1st

130th of 133 (VA)

How Lee County's population changed since 2020

Lee County lost 327 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 1.5%. That ranks 109th of 133 in Virginia for growth. The median Virginia county changed by +1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Lee County recorded 764 births and 1,641 deaths, a natural change of -877. Net international migration added +40 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +452. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 877 people.

22.1k202022.0k202121.8k202221.8k202321.8k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
764
Deaths
1,641
Net international migration
+40
Net domestic migration
+452
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+19

Where Lee County is

The Census internal point of Lee County is at 36.701700, -83.130100. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Lee County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Martinsville city: +2.7%Norton city: -5.5%Charlottesville city: -3.6%Winchester city: -0.7%Bristol city: -5.7%Manassas Park city: -3.2%Fluvanna County: +5.3%Clarke County: +5.3%Lunenburg County: +0.9%Colonial Heights city: +2.8%Franklin city: +2.8%Lexington city: +6.7%Petersburg city: +2.0%Suffolk city: +8.8%Emporia city: -5.1%Middlesex County: +3.2%Fairfax city: +8.9%Fredericksburg city: +7.1%Floyd County: +1.2%Radford city: +7.2%Waynesboro city: +5.5%Hopewell city: -0.2%Staunton city: +2.1%Buena Vista city: -0.6%Covington city: -1.4%Poquoson city: +3.1%Madison County: +2.8%Falls Church city: +2.4%Franklin County: +2.1%Mecklenburg County: +1.8%Smyth County: -2.2%Pittsylvania County: -1.6%Frederick County: +6.7%Russell County: -1.3%Nottoway County: -0.1%Scott County: -0.9%Mathews County: +1.0%Stafford County: +7.1%Goochland County: +13.5%Henrico County: +1.1%Caroline County: +8.2%Prince George County: +1.2%Prince William County: +2.9%Cumberland County: +4.0%Essex County: +0.8%Fairfax County: +1.1%Henry County: -2.9%Carroll County: +0.3%Grayson County: -0.1%Louisa County: +11.4%James City County: +5.5%Albemarle County: +4.2%Lynchburg city: +1.7%King William County: +7.3%Charles City County: -2.7%Northumberland County: +4.7%Alexandria city: -0.0%Salem city: +2.0%Galax city: +0.3%Isle of Wight County: +5.8%Newport News city: -1.6%Tazewell County: -3.8%Amherst County: +1.1%Manassas city: +2.2%Buckingham County: +1.7%Shenandoah County: +2.7%Richmond city: +3.0%Alleghany County: -3.7%Culpeper County: +6.4%Warren County: +4.1%Northampton County: -1.7%Southampton County: -0.1%Portsmouth city: -1.5%Rockingham County: +4.6%Orange County: +7.1%Sussex County: -0.4%Bland County: -1.1%Chesapeake city: +2.1%Harrisonburg city: -1.0%Powhatan County: +6.4%Virginia Beach city: -1.1%Dinwiddie County: +2.5%Campbell County: -0.5%Gloucester County: +3.7%Greene County: +5.5%Page County: -0.0%Halifax County: -1.4%Hanover County: +4.6%Buchanan County: -8.0%Highland County: +4.8%Surry County: +0.4%Westmoreland County: +3.9%Wythe County: -0.8%Greensville County: -2.2%Roanoke city: -2.0%Loudoun County: +4.9%Spotsylvania County: +8.1%Brunswick County: -0.5%King George County: +7.4%Bedford County: +3.3%Patrick County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.4%Nelson County: +0.2%Montgomery County: -0.6%Amelia County: +3.4%York County: +1.7%Norfolk city: -2.8%Williamsburg city: +3.6%Bath County: -2.8%Accomack County: +0.0%Washington County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.7%Rockbridge County: -1.3%Roanoke County: +0.4%Wise County: -3.0%Fauquier County: +3.9%Craig County: -1.0%Charlotte County: -2.4%Richmond County: +3.3%Lee County: -1.5%Chesterfield County: +6.7%Danville city: -1.4%King and Queen County: +2.4%Prince Edward County: +1.7%Hampton city: +0.2%Appomattox County: +4.9%Botetourt County: +1.5%Arlington County: +0.4%Rappahannock County: +2.1%New Kent County: +17.7%Augusta County: +1.3%Giles County: -1.5%Dickenson County: -4.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.3%
  3. < +2.1%
  4. < +4.7%
  5. ≥ +4.7%
no data

Orange pin: Lee County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
36.701700, -83.130100
DMS
36°42'6.12"N 83°07'48.36"W
UTM
17N 309721.6E 4063896.3N
Geohash
dnsbu36db
Plus code
868RPV29+MX

Towns in Lee County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Lee County, 1,575 people together, or 7% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Lee County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Pennington Gap with 1,575.

  1. 01Pennington Gap1,575
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Lee County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Lee County, including 4 across a state line. The most populous is Wise County, VA, with 34,973 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 319.0 miles ENE of Lee County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Knoxville, TN (population 198,722), 68.0 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Kingsport, TN (population 57,109), 34.9 miles away.

Lee County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Lee County is 51105: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 105. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $44,110.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Lee County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 21,780. That is down 327 people (1.5%) from the July 2020 estimate of 22,107.

What is the FIPS code of Lee County?

51105. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (105) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Lee County?

Pennington Gap, with 1,575 residents inside Lee County in 2024.

Which counties border Lee County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Wise County, VA; Claiborne County, TN; Harlan County, KY; Bell County, KY; Scott County, VA; Hancock County, TN.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.